Real estate agents embrace social media’s power

An overwhelming percentage of real estate professionals are using social media, and it’s with good reason. New data suggest social media—especially Facebook—offers real estate agents’ businesses valuable benefits, according to a Nov. 17 post on the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Blog.

Nearly 90% of those responding to “The Impact of Social Media in Real Estate” survey indicated real estate professionals are using the various platforms as business tools. Among those, 40% said they use social media to post property listings and attract clients; 26% said their aim is to drive web traffic; and 14% said they use it for other reasons, such as helpful content and communicating news about their business. Interestingly, nearly 20% weren’t sure why they were using it, but they knew they needed it in today’s business environment, according to the post.

Social media marketing’s benefits are well documented and are not easy for real estate agents to ignore. Just look at Facebook’s track record for business marketing.

The networking platform, which reaches all ages, genders, lifestyles and geographic areas, has become a business growing opportunity. In early 2016, EMarketer projected Facebook will have received 31% of U.S. advertisers’ display ad dollars by year’s end. An article on Advertising Age reported that, worldwide, Facebook is the No. 2 ad publisher behind Google.

Facebook is where potential customers, including those looking for real estate agents and brokers, go and look for leads or information. According to the Better Homes and Gardens’ blog, 73% of Americans expect to find small businesses on Facebook. More importantly, many choose the companies they hire or work with based on the company’s presence and availability on the social media site.

Real estate agents can tap Facebook for its business-building power. Not only do agents and brokers have the opportunity to share their brand and tell their stories, but they also can garner support. Research suggests that 51% of American consumers on Facebook are more likely to purchase or hire brands they follow on social media, according to Lyfe Marketing’s 75 Benefits of Social Media.

Anchored by Facebook, social media remains a multifaceted advertising platform, offering more than a place for ads and something for all budgets. Depending on their marketing budgets, users can tap social media paid advertising resources, as well as communicate with their audiences consistently and often, through informative content.

Learn more about how to optimally use social media resources by downloading Better Homes and Garden’s free whitepaper.